A textile-machine lubricant must perform satisfactorily in textile-mill service where adequate lubricating properties must be combined with high retention (e.g., the ability to stay put in a bearing). Stray oil thrown from a bearing can find its way to the cloth being manufactured and complicate the cleaning steps taken at the end of the process.
Prior art textile-machinery lubricants have been compounded with high viscosity index oils (e.g., solvent-refined paraffinic lube oil) and a combination of additives to give the necessary retention properties. One of these materials, a lithium soap, was finely dispersed in the paraffinic oil, but was not in complete solution. Under field conditions, the soap separated from the product. This problem of gel stability has been frequently mentioned in the prior art.
The present invention relates to an improved high retention lubricant for textile-machinery which does not separate under field conditions, and which is equivalent or superior to prior art textile-machinery which does not separate under field conditions, and which is equivalent or superior to prior art textile lubricants in such performance characteristics as lubricating, retention and cloth scourability and which does not discolor or degrade textile fibers.
This improved high retention lubricant is not only resistant to separation but also has brighter appearance, produces less staining if it comes into contact with fabric, and provides rubber seal protection and conditioning. Furthermore, in mill trials this new lubricant provided lower mill consumption of electrical power required by such textile-machinery as Draper Shuttleless Looms.
Among the relevant publications of record in one or more parent applications are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. Issue Date Patentee Class/Sub ______________________________________ 1,789,331 1/31 Becker 252/41 2,074,089 3/37 Zimmer et al. 252/41 2,121,796 6/38 Mikeska et al. 252/49.8X 2,298,660 10/42 Stevens et al. 252/52RX 2,322,209 6/43 Brutton 252/42.1X 2,390,450 12/45 Morgan 252/36 2,406,655 8/46 Bax et al. 252/36 2,416,503 2/47 Trautman et al. 252/49.6 2,651,616 9/53 Bryant et al. 252/41 2,697,693 12/54 Browning et al. 252/41 2,760,936 8/56 Baker 252/41 2,769,781 11/56 Butcosk 252/40 2,844,537 7/58 McCarthy et al. 252/41 2,846,394 8/58 Brunstrum et al. 252/41 3,431,863 12/69 Donaldson et al. 208/217X 3,383,312 5/68 Coppock 252/36 2,595,789 7/71 Coshburn 252/36X 3,694,363 9/72 Griffith et al. 252/41X ______________________________________
It should be noted that much of the above noted art is concerned with greases (which generally use high viscosity base oils and large amounts of soap), whereas the textile machinery lubricant of the present invention is a "thickened oil" and, in use, is more like an oil than a grease.